


Aftermath (and what lies thereafter)

by littletrinkets



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, post great world blaze and there's no second world blaze, temple au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26931433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littletrinkets/pseuds/littletrinkets
Summary: Galo Thymos, weary from trying to stitch a post-Great World Blaze city back together, falls into the habit of visiting an old temple to verbalize his frustrations. There's no one else around and he's probably just talking to himself, but it works, and it helps calm him down.Unbeknownst to him, Lio Fotia, a minor god, has actually been there all along to listen to his troubles.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 48
Kudos: 112





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by and loosely based on [this lovely tumblr post.](https://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/post/172811507450/threefeline-corancoranthemagicalman) Guess which ones Lio and Galo are supposed to be ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> Actually I'm not very good at coming up with titles. Or summaries. Haha.
> 
> This is a WIP, but I just decided to put it out there. Might as well, right? I do plan to complete this, though updates will most likely be slow. I apologize. I also apologize for any grammar mistakes, it's been years since I've written anything (whoops)
> 
> I also don't really know what a temple looks like (whoops x2)

Winning a war is nothing like it sounds in the history books, Galo thinks, as he heaves piles of rubble and dirt from what used to be a park in an upscale part of town. Long gone was the initial fanfare, the cheering of the crowds as gigantic tanks lumbered through the streets of a decorated city with equally decorated soldiers proudly marching at its sides. Both towered over Galo, only ten years old when the parades were held, and to a little boy, the sunlight illuminating the profile of its participants made them look somewhat like a beacon of hope.

Once upon a time, a young, bright eyed Galo looked up at those noble soldiers and wished he could join them. Once upon a time, he would venture out into the world with his makeshift weapon that was more stick than sword, and he would swat at carefully piled stacks of rocks, pretending that he was the chosen one who would save the city from the evil, fire-wielding Burnish. Once upon a time, Galo wanted to become a hero.

 _There’s more than one way to be a hero, Galo_ , his mother would croon while he lay in her lap, tired after a long day of vanquishing imaginary enemies. Cocooned in her warmth, he would hum and giggle, thinking that that was a silly idea. Perhaps this was one of those white lies grown-ups liked to tell kids so much, he would ponder, while wispy tendrils of sleep snuck up on him and gently soothed his eyes shut. Ten years later, as he passes around bland, tasteless rations and is rewarded with haggard faces lighting up with a smile, he realizes that, as always, his mother was right.

“Thank you,” an older woman says, carefully nursing her share for the night. She has a toddler at her hip, and Galo can’t help it. His hands reach out to take back her scratched Tupperware, and he quickly scoops out another serving, making sure that the container was filled to the brim. The woman’s eyes widen and she fusses a bit, but Galo just pushes the food back into her hands and hushes her with a bright smile of his own.

“It’s no problem! Burning Rescue is always here to help.” He stands a little straighter and puffs out his chest, and it almost feels like he’s back to a year ago, before the fires of the Great World Blaze had spiraled out of control. The ensuing destruction had tried to douse it, but he feels the flames of his burning soul being stoked to life once more.

The woman’s eyes are glassy now, but he can see it – her willful clinging to life. It lights his spirit up, the flame large enough to reach the sky, giving him just enough firepower to propel him ever closer into becoming the hero he once dreamed to be.

* * *

Rebuilding the city and the community is rewarding work – really, it is – it’s just that there are times when the days feel like they’re dragging on. Sometimes it’s things like running out of food to give out for the day, no matter how much they try to ration what little they have left. Sometimes it’s seeing a small child shivering and feverish, and they can barely give the medicine needed to alleviate the pain.

Sometimes it’s situations that are out of their control, like desert bandits riding in on their bikes, stealing from their small stash of supplies, before riding off into the sunset with their howls trailing behind them.

Promepolitans aren’t weak, by any means, but their sturdy walls have broken down, and their buildings have been reduced to ruins. They’ve managed to hold onto some form of societal structure – the newly instituted governess is somehow managing to prevent the complete collapse of order. But there just isn’t enough of _everything_. Food, clothing, shelter. Manpower. With most of the workforce directed to rehabilitating the citizens, it goes without saying that their security leaves much to be desired. Which means that out here, in the middle of the wilderness, Promepolis is the equivalent of a sitting duck.

Some days, Galo fights back and wins. Most of the time, however, he grits his teeth and bears with it, since ensuring the people’s safety takes top priority. Today is one such day.

Galo is huffing up a storm as he stomps down the road, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Captain Ignis was right in choosing to go on the defensive, he _knows_ that, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. Sure, they’re alright now, but what about tomorrow? What if another person comes to them, starving and begging for bite, but there’s nothing left to offer? Galo needs to calm down, he knows, and it wouldn’t do anyone any good to see him pacing a hole into the floor of their meager living spaces. He needs to sort his thoughts, so off he went, to the giant frozen lake where he typically goes to relax, and a bit further.

He’s never gone this far from the center of Promepolis before, never found the urge to. But his usual spot isn’t doing it anymore, and his muscles itch. He feels fidgety. This should be a safe area anyway, seeing as it’s relatively closed off from the city borders, so Galo decides to follow his gut and steps deeper into the woods.

He goes higher up the mountain, not knowing what to expect, and is greeted by exactly that. A small temple comes into view, and upon closer inspection, it looks worn and dirty, though Galo guesses that that’s to be expected at least. He’s probably the only one who would ever trek this far up. He warily eyes the roof but it doesn’t seem like it'll fall over his head anytime soon, so Galo decides to take his chances and steps over the dilapidated threshold.

It’s…pretty much what he thought it would be.

It’s as small on the inside as it looked from the outside, but big enough for two to three people to enter without having to push each other around for legroom. Thankfully it’s just a wide, open space, lined with stained marble flooring and marble walls that may have been pristine a few years ago. There are some rectangular holes in the walls, probably windows, that let enough sunlight in to help Galo not trip over his own feet. To call it a temple is a bit of a stretch, really, but it has an altar up front, and Galo doesn’t know any other words to call it, so ‘temple’ will have to do.

 _What do you even do in places like these?_ Galo has never been the religious type, preferring to face his problems headfirst instead of relying on some unseen god. How does one even pray?

 _Praying is just having a conversation with God, Galo. Just like how you and I are having a conversation right now._ His mother would say that whenever he would ask, all the while wearing a patient smile on her face. So Galo does just that. He plops down onto the grimy floor and sits Indian style, staring up at the altar.

“Hello?”

His voice echoes back at him. Of course.

“I’m Galo. I work down there in Promepolis as a firefighter.” This works just as well as his last attempt. There’s something calming about saying all of this out loud though, even though he’s probably just talking to himself. Perhaps it has something to do with pretending there was some invisible being in here listening to him speak. At least that way, he doesn’t appear to be as crazy as he actually feels.

“It’s good work, and I like it. I like my job. I’m the best at it, actually.” Galo rubs his nose to hide his pleased smile. “It’s fun to help people, and seeing people smile just lights my fiery spirit up!”

Galo shifts around a bit, tries to get into a more comfortable position. Well, as comfortable as he can get on a hard marble floor.

“The pay isn’t that great though, considering the war just ended and all, but that’s understandable. But I guess it’s the people who really make it count.” He looks down shyly at his hands, suddenly overcome with affection. “The crew – oh, that’s Captain Ignis, Aina, Varys, Remi, Lucia, and Vinny – they’re pretty awesome. We all like to joke around, and they seem to like teasing me a lot, but I know they’ve got my back, just like how I’ve got theirs. We all work together in helping build Promepolis back up. It’s good work, great even, it’s just that…”

A deep breath of air.

“It’s just that…sometimes, it’s hard. I know that nothing can ever put out my burning soul, but sometimes it just. Hurts. To see people struggling with getting what used to be simple things, like clothes, or pizza. Back then, before Promepolis—” _Fell._ “—became how it is now, there used to be this amazing pizza place just around the corner from my apartment. Chief – that’s what we’d call the owner – would whip up these pizzas that were absolutely _to die for_ , and we’d order stacks of them and eat them all up on the spot. Me and the crew, we’d spend our time eating, and talking, and just chat about anything that was going on in our lives. Sometimes we’d get called back to the station, but that was fine cause I loved being able to suit up and get into the action, you know? Fight fires like those cool as _fuck_ ancient Eastern firefighters.” Oh shit, are you allowed to say fuck while praying? Well, it’s too late now, Galo supposes.

“Lucia even made me a suit – a _MATOI_ - _INSPIRED SUIT_ , so I could go out there and put out those fires in style! And at the end of the day, we all saved everyone, and it was the best feeling in the world. And I guess…” Oh, oh no, he’s tearing up. “I guess that’s what I miss the most. I mean, I definitely miss the pizza, for sure, but the power to protect people?”

Galo reaches a hand up to cover his eyes from the rays of the setting sun peaking in through the windows. It’s too much for him right now, he can’t handle it.

“It just really sucks right now, seeing all these people we can’t help. We’re trying our best, I _know_ that, I _know_ they know that, but honestly? That doesn’t make me feel any better. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to feel.”

His voice cracks at the end, and Galo can’t continue anymore. It feels like there’s a crack in his spirit, and it’s getting deeper and deeper, until it might even reach his core and tear him apart. He can’t let it tear him apart. Not right now, not with Promepolis on the verge of toppling into itself, not with Burning Rescue desperately holding onto the strings that keep the team together. Galo can’t do this to them, he has to be there _for_ them. Isn’t that why he’s here right now, pretending to have a conversation with an empty altar?

Aina once called him the universe’s number one firefighting idiot, and he’s gonna hold onto that.

Galo stays there, head in his hands, until the sun goes down and the moon is almost at its peak. He stays until he feels the tension bleed out of him, until the pressure doesn’t feel as heavy as it did when he first entered. It took some time, but praying (if he can even call it that) seemed to have worked, so maybe his mom was onto something here (and if she were still around, this would have been the part where she flicks his arm and says _I told you so_ ).

Galo looks up again, at that empty altar. “Thanks for listening. I feel better now.” He pulls himself up to stand on slightly wobbly legs, takes another long, deep breath, then walks toward the exit. Once he reaches the doorframe, he turns around again, gives a small salute, then heads down the mountain and back to the city.

As he crosses over that run down threshold again, he can almost hear a quiet voice whisper _You’re welcome_ , wishing him a safe trip back home.


	2. Chapter 2

_Rows of apartments line the empty streets, extending as far as the eye can see. There’s a thick layer of snow covering all available surfaces, coupled with a bit of snowfall, and it gives an overall grayish tint to its surroundings. Strangely enough, despite his pajamas being his only form of protection against the elements, Galo doesn’t feel the cold. That’s his first sign that whatever he’s experiencing right now isn’t necessarily happening in real life._

_His second sign is that, somehow, Galo_ knows _that he’s not in Promepolis. This area feels unfamiliar to him, and although Galo can’t claim to remember all the nooks and crannies of his hometown, he can’t shake the feeling that he’s out of place. However, he’s never been one to be intimidated by a new environment (just ask the others how his first day in Burning Rescue went), so Galo strolls down the street to take in the sights._

_It’s a nice, quaint neighborhood. Quiet, but then again, there’s a noticeable lack of any other people around. It also doesn’t appear war-torn, a fact that Galo wistfully takes in. Is this what Promepolis would have looked like if the Great World Blaze never happened?_

_He peeks at a mailbox, sees the words_ Detroit, MI _embedded on the side. Well, that explains the odd sensation of dissonance, but it just raises a whole new set of questions. What is Galo doing here, in a state he’s never even visited before? Why_ Detroit _of all places?_

_Galo looks away, and his eyes are drawn to a playground across the street, focusing on the first person he’s seen ever since the start of this bizarre experience. They’ve got their back turned to him, hunched over what looks like an attempt at building a snowman. Even from this distance, Galo can tell that they’re small, and the five layers of winter clothes they’re wearing just makes their frame look even tinier. He crosses the road, reaches the entrance to the playground, and is about to call out to the figure – in an attempt to figure out what exactly is going on here – but the trill of a voice behind him startles him enough to swallow his words back down._

_“It’s time to go home!” There’s an affectionate lilt at the end, the words spoken with affection. Galo is about to turn to the voice, but the person he was making his way toward snaps their head in his direction and pins him down with a piercing, wide violet eyes._

_They’re looking at him. No, rather, they’re looking_ through _him._

_“It’s time to go home!” the voice behind him repeats, but Galo can’t tear his eyes away from soft cheeks framed by a curtain of mint green hair. “Let’s go home, L—”_

* * *

The sound of pots and pans being banged fills the air, which means to it’s to get up and get to work. Galo gives himself a minute to reorient himself, stares at the cracks in the ceiling until they come into focus. Once it feels like he’s been rid of the final vestiges of sleep, he swipes his hand over his eyes, yawns one last time, then pulls himself to sit up. Pushing himself off the single, creaky mattress laid on the floor, Galo peels away the curtain separating his quarters from the rest of the compound, ready to prepare himself for another long day of work.

Galo spots a green bird’s nest of hair on his way to the communal bathrooms and grins. “Good morning, Remi!”

Remi just gives him a bleary-eyed stare that lasts about a minute or two before humming, indicating that yes, he does recognize the blue blur that is Galo after all. “Good morning, Galo. I see you’re as energetic as ever, despite getting home late last night.”

“You know me! I’ve got endless stores of energy!”

The corners of Remi’s mouth tilt up. “Why were you late anyway? Got a hot date?”

That pulls a hearty laugh from Galo. “Nah, I just ended up going farther from my usual spot. I do have a hot date later on though.” Galo wriggles his eyebrows. “Lucia said she’s finally managed to scrounge up enough scraps to customize my mech, give it some of that Matoi pizzazz. It’ll be just me, Lucia, and my sweet, sweet Matoi Tech Version 2.0,” Galo sighs.

Remi rolls his eyes. “At least one of us has plans tonight.” He waves him off as they go their separate ways, Remi heading to the showers while Galo goes to the sinks. As he brushes his teeth, his mind wanders, and there’s this odd niggling at the back of his mind, like he should be remembering something important, He tries to recall what it is, but the more he reaches out to grasp it, the more it slips through his fingers like sand.

Annoyed, Galo decides to just leave it – thinking has never been his forte anyway. He finishes up with a splash of cold water on his face, wipes away the dampness on his brow with a small towel, then steps out of the communal bathrooms, eager to return to the Promepolis rebuilding efforts.

* * *

Galo’s daily schedule goes something like this:

In the morning, after freshening up and ensuring he looks decent enough for the day (sans shirt, of course), he’ll make a beeline for the cafeteria, keen on grabbing breakfast. With a tray in hand, he’ll do a quick take of the area and its open tables. Sometimes, Varys would already be there, in the table by the window. Sometimes it’s Aina who arrives there first before the rest of the crew, which means sitting at the table nearest the door, since she has a tendency to flop over the sticky canteen tables, moaning about how she could use five more minutes of sleep, before finally mustering enough strength to force herself up and claim her food. Sometimes, Galo is the earliest one there, so he gets to pick the table for the day. Naturally, his favorite one is the one nearest the food station, for easier and quicker access to any leftovers available.

After everyone has finished eating, they leave the compound to start on their work. Burning Rescue is usually assigned to clean-up, which is actually perfect for them and their large machinery. Lucia is in charge of finding areas for clean-up, which she then directs to Galo, Varys, and Remi for manual labor. Together, they gather up the debris, which is then transported by Aina and Ignis to the designated collection spot. Once the area has been successfully cleared, they leave it up to the other teams to handle the remaining jobs and move on to the next block, then repeat the cycle.

This lasts for the whole morning until their scheduled break in the afternoon. Thankfully, there are volunteers now to visit them in the worksite and hand out their lunches, making it much easier to get food, especially now that they’re getting farther and farther from the city center. Once lunchtime is over, it’s back to their routine work, which lasts until nightfall arrives, since by then it would no longer be safe to navigate through the wreckage. Packing up their materials, they’ll hop into Aina’s aircraft (sometimes, if he’s lucky, Galo gets to ride shotgun in Captain Ignis’s car), and head back to the compound.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they finish up a little earlier, a few hours before dusk, when it’s their turn to prepare dinner. The whole team huddles in the kitchen, each naturally gravitating to their roles for an overall smooth workflow. Well, everyone except Lucia.

_(“Lucia, please put that away—”_

_“Trust me, it’ll be much faster if we cut up the vegetables like this.” Lucia cackles, a glint in her eye, raising her newest invention for the day high into the air: it’s five knives, welded together side by side with about an inch of space in between, with a yellow handle for an easier grip. Varys calls it The Knife Rake._

_Galo rubs his chin, staring thoughtfully at the device. “I don’t know Aina, if Lucia built it then it’s bound to work.”_

_“Galo, shut up, stop enabling her—Lucia, please, you’re going to hurt yourself—LUCIA PUT THAT DOWN—“)_

This is how Galo’s life goes from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is everyone’s designated rest day, which they either spend with each other playing cards and hanging out, or by themselves, if they want that moment of quiet that’s practically impossible when the whole team is together. If Galo is extra tired from the previous day, he’ll wrap himself up in his blankets and sleep the day away.

Recently, ever since he discovered that temple up in the mountains, a portion of his Sunday has been dedicated to short, two- to three-hour visits. It’s like he’s addicted. Every time he enters the premises it’s like he’s entered a whole new world, and for those few precious hours, he can feel his worries slide off of his back like water. He’s tried inviting the others, but his suspicions were right – no one but him is willing to trek that far up. So off he goes, riding his bike to the frozen lake, parking it next to a tree nearby, reaching into his compartment for whatever he’s brought with him – a bag of chips, or a thin blanket, or a collapsible broom, for those times when he gets the urge to sweep off the leaves piling in front of the entrance. Once his item for the day has been secured, he’ll go through the forest, up into the mountains, back to his new special spot.

* * *

_The scenery is painted in hues of red and gold this time. Instead of an infinite array of gray apartment buildings, there are multiple trees lining the walkway, and the ground is scattered with the soft shades of autumn. The leaves satisfyingly crunch under Galo's sneakers as he strides forward, once again admiring the pretty, albeit unfamiliar sights. In his last dream many nights ago, he was in Detroit. Will it be the same this time too?_

_Galo walks and walks, steadfastly planting one foot in front of the other, until he arrives at what appears to be his destination: a tall red brick building, walls covered in ivy. Unlike before, this dream isn't muted - he can clearly hear the ringing of the school bells, the din of the crowd, the boisterous atmosphere associated with throngs of college students. It's definitely more lively compared to last time, Galo muses as a girl rushes past him, practically running toward the open school doors. There are a million faces in the crowd, but Galo barely gives any of them a glance. He's looking for someone specific, the reason why he's here, in the middle of a busy school afternoon in maybe-Detroit._

_As his eyes scan the crowd, his gaze catches on a head of mint green hair._ There.

 _Galo's position gives him a good side profile of the person he was looking for, who is now dressed in white shirt, matched with a black coat and fit trousers. They're in the midst of having a conversation with two other students -_ _one is in a plain sleeveless t-shirt and dark skinny jeans with dark blue hair that reaches their waist, while the other is decked in a maroon bomber jacket, which compliments his short, messy red hair. They both tower over the mint-haired one, which makes Galo snort; he knew since he first saw them that they were short. Sufficiently intrigued, Galo inches closer and closer, hoping to overhear their animated discussion._

_"Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Gueira? Perhaps next time, it would be wiser of you to actually dedicate the time to finishing your work, instead of wasting it procrastinating until the very last minute." Uh. Wow, that was a much deeper voice than Galo expected, and it shoots down his spine in a pleasant tingle. Not one you would expect someone of his image - petite frame with a delicate face - and yet somehow, it suits him. He sniffs and raises his chin towards the red haired one, whose name is apparently Gueira._

_"Hey, at least you're not roommates with him," says the one with long hair, turning his head to the sky and making his burdens loud and clear with a long groan. "I've had to hear the same spiel 24/7, Lio, at this point I'm sure I could recite it word per word in my sleep. Paying the full rent almost sounds like the better deal."_

_"Excuse me? I'm still here?" Gueira says with an affronted tone. "Also that's 100% a lie, Meis. We all know you'd never make it past two months with that loose change you call a paycheck."_

_Eye twitching, this prompts Meis_ _to reach out for Gueira, intent to strangle him, but Gueira deftly leaps out of the way with a shit-eating grin. Lio laughs and is preoccupied with watching the exchange, while Galo is preoccupied with watching Lio. He's quite the bizarre person, isn't he? Short, small enough for Galo to dwarf in a hug, and yet the aura around him is one that commands respect. Galo can tell that, despite the banter, despite being a full head taller than Lio, their motions are careful and cautious around him, and their words are never meant to strike. It's obvious that they hold Lio in high regard._

_Lio waves his hand between the duo, effectively stopping their repartee. "As tempting as it sounds to listen to you two bicker for hours on end, unfortunately I have other matters to attend to." His statement is met with whines and groans._

_"Come on, Lio, don't be like that!" Gueira pouts and puts on his best puppy dog eyes, which only makes Lio roll his eyes. "Stay a bit longer, we could go get some of those grilled cheese sandwiches from that food truck you like so much."_

_Meis nods. "Gueira's right, though it pains me to say it." This earns him a punch from Gueira, to which he retaliates by kicking the redhead's boot. "Surely you can spare a few minutes for your best friends?"_

_Mirth dances in Lio's expression, and although his smile is subdued, the crinkles around his eyes betray his apparent fondness. He allows them to flank his sides, firmly gripping both of his arms and dragging him away, supposedly to the aforementioned food truck. "I don't recall having_ any _best friends, and even if I did, what gave either of you the confidence to make that claim?"_

_Gueira scoffs, momentarily pausing in hauling Lio away. "Please, it's not like you're hanging out with anyone else. Everyone else is too intimated by you after you talked down that frat boy who, by the way, looked like he could bench press two of you. So what the fuck, Lio?"_

_"The point is," Meis interjects, "you don't have a choice. It was a proxy decision."_

_Lio lets out a longsuffering sigh. "Fine, you both win, now stop manhandling me." He's immediately released, and there are cheeky grins adorning his companion's faces. "It appears you both terribly missed my company, so come on, let's go. But I will not be paying for my own meal."_

_Meis whines about his empty wallet while Gueira jumps in the air and whoops, and Galo watches them go, surroundings once again muted, until they're all specks in the distance._

* * *

Rays of sunlight slip through the cracks in the ceiling, directly hitting Galo's sleeping face. He frowns, turns away, burrows himself deeper into his threadbare blanket, but it's no use. He's already awake. Forcing himself up, Galo wipes away the sleep in his eyes before standing up to lift his curtain-door, intent on getting his hands on some cool water to help him completely wake up. From the looks of it, the compound is empty, since Galo doesn't bump into anyone familiar on his way to the bathroom. It makes sense, considering the time - outside the window, the sun is already high up, and a quick peek at his watch tells him that it's now precisely 1:02 PM.

_Damn, I slept the whole morning away._

Galo yawns, doesn't blame himself. Yesterday's work involved particularly heavy lifting, to the point where even Varys had to come in and help Galo, and then some. Multiply that by numerous times he had to repeat the same motions for entire day, and you have a thoroughly exhausted Galo. It's more surprising that the others _aren't_ tired, since he knows that yesterday was taxing to them all.

Galo splashes his face with water, then leaves his eyes closed for a minute. That odd feeling is back again, the one where he knows something is amiss even though, for the life of him, he can't seem to figure it out. He furrows his brow, scrunches his face, thinks really hard - he's trying to remember what it could be.

Was it a job he forgot to do? But Galo is sure that he's finished all the work he needed to do, that's why he was comfortable enough to pass out last night with no worries for the next day.

Some paperwork he forgot to submit? This is...honestly, more likely, and Ignis has the forehead creases to prove it. But as far as Galo is concerned, he's got nothing left to turn in, thanks to Aina making sure of that. And anyway, even if he did happen to miss something, Aina would never fail to remind him right before the last minute. It's a shaky system, but it's been working so far, as proven by how Ignis hasn't called him to the office in three months (a new record!).

It's not related to work, of that Galo is sure, at least. More like, it's related to someone he _knows_. L-something, but isn't that a bit strange? Galo can't immediately think of anyone whose name starts with that letter. Starts with an R then? Remi? But that still doesn't sound right...

His head is hurting again, which means it's time to leave the problem alone. If it ends up being something important, he trusts that Aina would keep him updated anyway.

Returning to his quarters, Galo changes out of his pajamas putting on denim jeans and a thin black shirt. He eyes his hoodie for a minute, but ultimately decides to bring it along as well. He then exits the compound, beelining to his bike situated at the back of the building and unchaining it. Checking to make sure his collapsible broom is still in the compartment, Galo nods when he sees it, and puts on his helmet. He hefts himself over his bike, firmly seated and checks the gas, makes sure it's enough to make the trip and back. Content and prepared for a short excursion, Galo revs up his bike and heads for the mountains.

Today is a Sunday.

* * *

The air feels charged, Galo thinks as soon as he removes his helmet. Galo can feel the anticipation in his bones, closely resembling the adrenaline he gets during a Burning Rescue mission. It's strange since he's usually blanketed with an overwhelming sense of peace once he reaches the lake. Parking his bike in its usual spot, Galo grabs his broom, hikes up the mountain. Each step is making his heart beat faster, the thudding of his heart reaching all the way to his fingertips, making them tremble ever so slightly.

Is he scared? No, Galo knows that there's nothing here to be scared of. It may be far from the city center, but it isn't unsafe.

Excited then? Maybe? That more closely resembles the emotion bubbling in Galo's chest, but is equally confusing. What is he excited for?

Galo finally reaches the fringes of the clearing leading to the temple, and his heart feels like it's expanding past his chest, so much so that Galo almost wants to turn back. But that won't do - he just got here, and more than that, Galo wants to see what's up, wants to get to the bottom of this. Galo never runs away. So he steels himself, grits his teeth, and goes through the entrance.

He is immediately met with piercing violet eyes. Galo stills, frozen in shock. He stares at the petite figure, dressed in all black, lazily lounging on the altar. However, it seems like even though Galo's mind stops working, his mouth never does.

"What's a little girl doing this far away from the city?"

Their mouth twists in annoyance. "'Little girl'? Who do you think you're speaking to?" And okay, that voice definitely does _not_ belong to a prepubescent girl.

Galo raises his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was just surprised, okay. Nobody I know usually comes this far up so I was kinda thrown off seeing you." That's okay, Galo can be the bigger man here, both figuratively and literally. Maybe this person is lost, and they need help getting home. His job as Burning Rescue comes first, after all.

Galo gentles the tone of his voice, not wanting to scare the other away, who is currently giving him the stink eye. Not a good sign. "Are you lost? Do you want me to escort you back home?" He points a thumb over his shoulder. "I brought my bike, and I have an extra helmet too. I'm pretty familiar with the area, so I could help you return home if you want."

Unfortunately, this doesn't give him the effect he desired. In fact, the boy looks even more annoyed now, and Galo can almost see the fumes rising from his head. "Don't speak to me in such a condescending manner, I'm not a child. And no, I am _not_ lost, and I most definitely do _not_ need an escort, especially not one the likes of _you._ "

Haughty, isn't he? Lucky for him, that kind of stuff flies right over Galo's head. "I didn't mean anything bad by it!" Galo shrieks. "I just thought that maybe you needed help or something."

The frown on the boy's face goes even deeper. "No thank you, Galo Thymos. I am in no need of any form of assistance."

That makes Galo pause for a moment, replaying his words to make sure he heard correctly. "Wait, how did you know my name?" 

"Of course I know your name, especially with how loudly you belted it out when you first stumbled your way in here," the boy sneers. "I wouldn't have been able to block you out even if I tried."

"It's been a month since I first came here. You were here all along? Then why didn't you show yourself the first time I visited?" Galo's eyes light up in understanding. "Oh, was your home destroyed in the war too? Is that why you're staying here?"

"What _—_ no, I am not squatting here, this _is_ my home. How dare you imply such a thing? I am _—_ "

"Lio." The name easily rolls off Galo's tongue, and the tension in his chest unwinds upon saying it. That bothersome feeling lurking in the back of his head is gone now too. "You're Lio."

Lio stares at him, mouth open mid-sentence and left open in surprise, momentarily stunned to silence. Galo is stunned himself. _How did I know that?_

They stare at each other for seconds that feels like hours, until Lio swallows, breaking the trance, finally managing to find his voice. He appears uncertain, wrongfooted, like he doesn't know how to handle Galo anymore. "Yes, my name is Lio, Lio Fotia," he says slowly, enunciating each word. "And I am the god of this temple."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you to those who liked this baby of a fic enough to give it comments, kudos, and bookmarks! ♡
> 
> I wanted to put up this chapter earlier since I stan Lio REALLY HARD so I was excited to finally officially introduce him in the fic but. School. :( well, at least he's here with us now.
> 
> My chapter's are never beta'd btw, lack of time huhu. If any of you spot errors, let me know!!


	3. Chapter 3

Despite their turbulent first meeting, Galo thinks he and Lio get along pretty well.

_(Galo is transfixed, held in place by the sheer force of the man before him, that he almost misses what Lio just said. His fingertips twitch once he processes it._

_"I'm sorry, what was that?"_

_"I said that I am the god of this temple," Lio repeats, the tone of his voice steady, as if he were talking about the weather instead of making an impossible claim. The matter-of-factness of it all leaves Galo speechless, which is a feat in itself, really._

_Lio lazily slips off of the altar and ambles to where Galo is. He eyes Galo from head to toe, studying him, and Galo can feel his cheeks warming under his intent gaze, even as he's blown away by the ridiculousness of the situation. Lio is unfairly pretty for someone who might actually be crazy._ _The two stand there for some time - Lio adamantly looking up at Galo, Galo pink-cheeked but refusing to back down - until a metaphorical light bulb lights up in Galo's head._

_"AH! I get it! You mean that you're in charge of this temple, right? Like its caretaker? Or a head priest?"_

_Lio has a flat expression on his face. He crosses his arms, the corners of his mouth turning down to form a the beginnings of a scowl. "No, I meant what I said. I am the god of this temple."_

_"So you're like the being up there that everyone prays to?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You're the one who grants wishes and shit."_

_"My powers aren't so grand as to allow me to perform anything spectacular, but technically, yes."_

_"And this isn't a joke?"_

_Lio sighs. "Yes," he drawls out, sounding very put upon. Galo's not buying it._

_"Why are you wearing all black then?"_

_This time Lio is the one looking at Galo incredulously, which in Galo's opinion, is totally uncalled for. He's not the one making sketchy allegations. "Because I want to?"_

_"But gods are supposed to wear white!" Galo emphasizes by waving his hands around, trying to make his point come across. "It's supposed to symbolize purity or something!"_

_"Don't you think that, as a god, I'd be able to do whatever I want? And what do my clothes have to do with anything anyway?"_

_Point taken, but Galo still isn't convinced. He circles Lio, studies him from all angles while rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Are you sure you're not just pulling my leg?"_

_Unfolding his arms, Lio plants his hand right in the middle of Galo's chest to stop him. Galo can feel the warmth of his hand spreading from where he's touching, even through his clothing._ _"Yes, I'm sure, but the longer I'm forced to talk to you, the more I see the futility of this entire conversation." Lio removes his hand to rub his temple instead, completing a picture of exasperation. "Why do I even have to explain myself to you?" Lio mutters._

_That manages to shut Galo up for a minute, gives him some time to think. Honestly, Galo doesn't know what to make of the whole situation. Lio doesn't look like he's joking, after all. But really? A god? Galo may be an idiot but he isn't stupid, and he isn't so gullible as to believe every single thing anyone tells him, no matter how pretty they may be. Lio looks like the type to have an incredible poker face too, which makes Galo even more wary to let his guard down._

_Galo really, truly does not know what to do. So he decides to push Lio._

_"What the fuck?" Lio, clearly not expecting the shove, hisses from the ground. Galo immediately feels bad and holds his hand out to help him out._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" His hand is sharply slapped away as Lio stands up on his own. He pins Galo with a heavy glare, who retreats into himself, feeling thoroughly scolded. "But are you_ really _sure you're a god?" Galo meekly tries again. "If you're a god, how was I able to touch you?" he prods._

 _Lio looks livid now. Not a good sign. "I'm a_ god _, not a ghost, you absolute moron." He pats the dirt off his black leather pants then turns around, walks away, ending the conversation; looks like he won't be indulging Galo's queries any longer. Galo feels a spike of panic flow through his veins._

_"Wait!" He reaches out to grab a delicate wrist, but stops himself a few centimeters away for fear of angering the shorter man even further. His outburst successfully makes Lio come to a halt, although he doesn't give him the pleasure of looking at Galo as he speaks. "Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I really am sorry for pushing you. Can we start over with the introductions?"_

_Lio just huffs, back adamantly turned toward Galo. But he's not exactly leaving, so Galo's gonna look at the bright side and take it as permission to continue speaking._

_"I'm Galo Thymos, and I work as a—firefighter, down there in Promepolis." If Lio notices his slip, he doesn't comment on it. Galo waits for Lio to continue, which Lio seems to refuse to do, so Galo continues, undeterred. "It may not be under the best circumstances, but it's nice to meet you, Lio Fotia." Galo says warmly._

_Lio's lithe form turns slightly, enough to examine Galo with a single violet eye. Galo puts his best foot forward and places a brilliant smile on his face, which manages to placate the wary man just a bit. "Pleasure." He flips his hair before sauntering back toward the altar. Once there, he carefully lays back down and closes his eyes. Galo stands there for a few seconds, awkwardly looks around, before making up his mind. He stomps up to the raised platform and plants his butt right beside Lio, jostling him to the side. His actions pull an irritated glance from Lio, but he doesn't shove Galo away, so he'll count as a win anyway._

_Galo plays with his fingers, twists them around each other, eager to fill the silence. "So if you are a god, you won't curse me or anything, right?"_

_Lio chuckles, startled. "If you were so worried about that then you shouldn't have pushed me." He hums, pretending to consider it, and shakes his head in the end. "As tempting as it sounds, no, I won't curse you just because you're an idiot." Galo pumps a fist in the air in victory._

_"So it's fine if I keep coming back to visit? This is a pretty sweet spot after all."_

_"Do what you want." Lio turns in place, back facing Galo again, but this time Galo knows he won't be ignored. "It's not like I can stop you."_

_Galo's grin widens. "Cool.")_

They spend the rest of the afternoon like that - Galo regaling Lio with any conversation topics that flit through his head, ranging from experiences in heroic rescue, to the Promepolis rebuilding efforts, to humorous stories about his friends and tales of ancient Eastern firefighters. Lio dutifully hums and snorts through each narrative, spurring Galo on, to the point where he almost doesn't notice the now orange sky. He stops, hesitant to leave Lio alone in place that doesn't look the most habitable, but Lio is quick to notice the worry in his mannerisms and promptly shoos him away.

_("Go, go," Lio commands. "The sun will go down soon, and the trip back will no longer be safe."_

_"How about you though? Will you really just stay here? Why don't you just come back to Promepolis with me? You don't even have a heater here!" Galo whines._

_Lio frowns, his eyes steeled in determination. "No, this is where I belong. Now, go."_

_As much as Galo hates it, he doesn't have a choice, especially since Lio is right. The mountains are safe enough at daylight, but he's seen the suspicious marks around the woods, the telltale tracks of soot and embers hastily covered with patches of dirt. He was lucky the last time he left so late, Ignis made sure to bore that into his head, but he might not be so lucky this time._

_Galo weakly attempts to convince Lio one more time. "I'm positive we still have space in the shelter, or if not, then we'll make do. You and I could alternate using my mattress, I'd even let you use it tonight. The floor is hard, but I'd survive," Galo shrugs._

_Despite himself, Lio laughs, exasperated. "Thank you for the generous offer, but no. I'll be able to handle myself here." He stands straight, chin up, and Galo may be bigger but right now, he feels like Lio would wipe the floor with him in a fight. The thought leaves him momentarily breathless. "I may have been weakened, but I am far from helpless. I do not require protection, though I do appreciate your intentions."_

_Galo sighs, accepting his defeat. "Fine, I'll take your word for it. You'll still be here the next time I visit though, right?"_

_"Of course. I'll always be here."_

_"Good." Galo smiles and is about to head to the entrance, when a passing thought stops him in his tracks. He considers it for a moment, then unties the hoodie around his waist, unceremoniously depositing it into the shorter man's arms. Lio, stunned into silence, simply stares at his offering with wide eyes._

_"It's not much, but it should make lying down on a stone altar more comfortable," Galo gestures at his gift. "Take care, alright, Lio? I'll see you next week."_

_Lio looks at Galo, wondering and amused, the ghost of a smile on his lips. He grips the proffered hoodie tightly, holds it closer. "Take care, Galo Thymos.")_

True to his word, Lio was there the next Sunday, and the next, and the next.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Galo," Lio says, carefully perched on the windowsill. He spares Galo a glance to acknowledge his arrival, then swiftly returns his gaze to the multitude of pine trees surrounding the temple, eyeing the green with a tinge of melancholy. A look of contemplation crosses his fine features. "Since you're here, that means another week has passed again, huh?" he mutters under his breath, teeth slightly worrying his bottom lip.

"Yup!" Galo chirps. "Clean up went without a hitch this week, so we were able to open up a good amount of hectares of land, enough for the construction team to begin setting up the other day. The permanent housing project should start early tomorrow, which means that soon, more people can finally leave the shelter and start living in more stable homes!"

That's enough to command Lio's full attention. Galo's enthusiasm bleeds into him, his lips slightly upturned by the liveliness the taller man exudes. "Sounds like good news," he says, pleased.

"It's great news!" The volume of Galo's outburst makes Lio minutely twitch in surprise, so Galo is careful to use his indoor voice next. "Got too excited there, sorry. Seeing the results of our work just really fires me up!"

Lio shakes his head. "You don't have to apologize. I'm also glad to hear that the city is doing well." Oddly enough, although Lio appears genuine, Galo's ears pick up a slight somber tone lacing his words. He tilts his head in confusion.

"Lio, are you alright?"

Hunching into himself, Lio tears his eyes away, not unlike the wary stray cat Galo had the fortune of encountering yesterday. "Yes, I'm fine." Similarly, Galo is tempted to offer a treat, a sign of goodwill, to see if it will also get Lio to open up.

Which reminds him.

"I came bearing gifts!" Galo lifts his haul for the day, all carefully wrapped in a spare blue handkerchief. He gently lays the small bundle on the stone altar, peeking at Lio from the corner of his eye. Lio has his arms crossed in front of him, looking as dubious as can be, but the inquisitive twinkle in those violet irises betrays his curiosity. He maintains his uninterested facade for a grand total of three seconds, but ultimately shuffles closer, neck craned toward the mysterious package. Galo can't help his victorious grin so he tries to hide it behind his hand instead. _Got him._

For as indifferent as Lio may seem, he has yet to decline anything Galo has given him. The items littering the temple are proof of that - the hoodie he had given Lio is neatly folded and appears to have a permanent spot at the corner of the stone altar. It looks deceptively pristine, but upon closer look, there are fine creases lining the fabric that hint at its recent use. The heater he had mentioned at the end of their first meeting (a small, battery powered device, pale green to match Lio's hair, switched off and sitting next to the aforementioned hoodie) was the next thing he had brought with him, and the wonderment in Lio's expression as he curled himself around the radiating heat left Galo's chest feeling warm in turn.

On the opposite corner of the altar is a thin blanket with tiny prints of pizzas that Galo had picked up at the local marketplace during a stroll, also immaculately folded. He had hid that one behind his back, hopping in place in excitement, Lio regarding him skeptically until he no longer could after Galo draped the cloth over his head, obscuring his view. Shortly after, like a daisy, Lio's head had popped out from the confines of the blanket, but contrary to what Galo had expected (which was an annoyed Lio chucking the offending item directly at his face), Lio's thin fingers had reached for the hem of the blanket, idly rolled the fabric, then proceeded to pull the corners to more properly wrap his frame. And what a sight that had been - a cozy Lio burrito, and Galo had choked a little at the sight, but the real kicker was when Lio had looked down, almost shy, as a devastatingly soft _thank you_ tumbled from his pale lips.

Galo may be an idiot, but he isn't stupid. He's had relationships before, the occasional male or female catching his fancy, and the bubbling in his chest is undeniably attraction. It doesn't help that Lio is so receptive to Galo, whether it be politely accepting his gifts or keenly taking in every word that comes out of Galo's mouth with rapt attention. So Galo lumbers on, acutely aware of Lio's presence at every turn, and continues dropping by every Sunday for a moment to spend with Lio, continues saving up funny stories throughout the week for a chance to steal an amused smile from thin lips, continues intentionally passing by the nearby marketplace on his off hours for little trinkets that might grab Lio's curiosity and keep it on him. Like now.

He neatly unties the knot, the folds of the handkerchief delicately falling apart to reveal the treasures inside - a few dried apricots, a handful of orange slices, and a small zip lock bag filled with mixed nuts. The orange slices were admittedly part of his lunch thirty minutes ago, and he would have eaten it with gusto had the thought of saving it to share with Lio not passed his mind. And it was definitely worth the wait, Galo thinks, if only to be a spectator for the pure delight that spreads through Lio's face.

"I see you like my offerings again this week," Galo teases, coupled with a shit-eating grin. Lio promptly closes his mouth and sends a sharp look his way, but he is easily distracted by the treats before him.

"They're alright," Lio says with a clipped voice. He neatly plucks an orange first, a tiny detail that doesn't escape Galo's notice.

"I take it you like oranges then?"

"They're actually my favorite," Lio admits, before popping the slice into his mouth. He closes his eyes in satisfaction and gives off the smallest of moans, and Galo can feel his heart hammering in his chest. "It's been forever since I've had one of these. After all, nobody really comes here anymore."

After savoring the slice, Lio looks at Galo, expression slightly more open and honest than before, and graces him with a subdued smile. "Thank you, Galo."

Galo's heart stumbles even more, and he has to swallow it back down before he can reply. He feels like a firefly - all aglow with the mere presence of Lio nearby. "You're welcome, Lio. Anytime."

* * *

 _It's hot. The summer sun is high in the sky and its rays are a relentless prickling on Galo's skin, but this heat feels different. Looks different. Pink and violet flames dance on top of a gray apartment complex and a mailbox with_ Detroit, MI _embedded on it's side, and Galo is locked in place, sweat beading on the back of his neck._

Burnish fire.

_His first instinct is to run far, far away - he isn't even in his rescue gear, doesn't even have an ounce of fire retardant gel - but a loud despairing howl on his right momentarily distracts him from the ingrained fear._

_"Meis—! Let go of me—we have, we have to—" a redhead—Gueira—spits out, hands desperately reaching out toward the fire. He's held in place by a man with waist long blue hair—Meis—who bodily pins Gueira on the ground with a vice-like grip._

_"Gueira! You won't survive that!" Meis growls through clenched teeth, wincing in pain when Gueira roughly elbows his torso. "We have to wait for help!"_

_Gueira angrily thumps his fist against the grass, glaring up at Meis with wide, panic-stricken eyes. "They're not going to make it! We have to go in there and grab Lio while we still have the chance!"_

_Galo's mind screeches to a halt._ Lio. _Lio is still in there, trapped by walls of purple flames. And he can't help it - even though he knows this is all a dream, even though he knows he won't really be able to do anything, Galo runs headfirst into the fire. He can't help it; he needs to know if Lio is still alive._

It isn't real, it's just a dream, _Galo repeats to himself, even as he swears he can feel the smoke creeping into his lungs. He deftly moves through the corridor, head kept low to the ground, and desperately looks around for a flash of mint green. Luck is on his side, it seems - Galo immediately spots Lio in the kitchen, huddled against the wall, scared but still relatively safe._

 _His chest throbs in relief, and he quickly rushes to Lio's side, but abruptly stops once he takes in the whole scene before him. The person he spotted has Lio's hair and Lio's features, but they look older, more feminine, dressed in women's clothes. Her face is frozen in shock, and she isn't even looking at the flames surrounding her._ _Instead, her eyes are focused past Galo's shoulder, and a sense of dread settles in Galo's gut. Time feels like it's passing by in slow motion as he turns around, and the odd way the Burnish fire circles the room, never going past an invisible line, doesn't escape his notice. The feeling of dread stirs in his gut, before violently climbing back up, making Galo's throat tighten in foreboding at the sight before him. Lio - strong,_ _steadfast,_ beautiful _Lio - looks terrified, and Galo can almost feel a knife piercing his heart. Lio's face, normally so calm and collected, is contorted in a myriad of emotions - surprise, anger, fear, but at the forefront of it all is immeasurable grief._

_Lio's hands grab fistfuls of his hair, and Galo wants to smooth his violent touch away, but Lio is trembling. He's obstinately shaking his head, and Galo offhandedly thinks that it could resemble a prayer, Lio hoping upon all hope that his staunch denial would make this less real._

_"No—no—!" Lio's knees give out and he crumples to the floor in tears. The knife in Galo's heart twists, tears through it even more. Lio should never look like this. Galo reaches out to him, wants to tell him that he'll be okay, but just like before, another voice beats him to it._

_"Lio—" a woman's voice starts, but Galo never gets to hear the rest of her sentence since, at that moment, Lio's head snaps up, panicked. It's their only warning before the room is engulfed in pink and violet flames._

_It's hot. It's hot it's hot_ it's hot _—_

* * *

Galo gasps awake, body covered in a sheen of cold sweat. He can distantly hear the incessant ringing of an alarm. That, coupled with the faint smell of smoke in the air, are the only warnings he gets before a frazzled Remi slides his curtain open, confirming his suspicions.

"Galo! Hurry up and get ready, there's a fire down by the fields!"

He is immediately on alert, adrenaline rushing through his veins, and he swiftly dons his rescue gear in under a minute. He's running toward the door, Captain Ignis in front, Remi following close behind, Varys, Aina, and Lucia right by his side. Captain Ignis reaches first, and he throws the door open. Wind harshly blows on Galo's face, forcing him to shield his face, only to let his arms down and feast his eyes on an ominous tower of smoke forming in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's officially typhoon season where I live! Luckily my area was spared from the recent storm, but I hope all you darlings are safe, typhoon or (hopefully) not.
> 
> I think I have about 2-3 chapters left to write? I've always intended for this story to last about 5-6 chapters anyway. Everything's been planned out, more or less, now I just have to find the time to write in between mountains of school work lol. Chapters will be late, as usual - real life responsibilities and all.
> 
> Stay safe everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

A piece of agricultural equipment had been faulty. Granted, with how worn it was, it was only a matter of time before a similar incident had occurred. Everyone had been tucked in for the night when a stray electrical spark flew off one of the machineries and into the unattended fields. Without anything to stop it, the spark grew and grew, until it became a tremendous fire that spiraled out of control, razing the farmlands and a few houses nearby.

 _We were lucky_ , Captain Ignis had said, and that was certainly true. Burning Rescue, along with some volunteer firefighters, had responded quickly to the situation, containing the blaze and keeping injuries to a minimum. The farmlands were unsalvageable, but at least the people were unharmed, and none of the houses had been damaged beyond repair. The only real problem left after the fire were the ruined crops that the farmers had tended to for months, but the emergency rations could be tapped into. The community wouldn’t go hungry. Food supplies may be further strained, but everything would be taken care of.

 _We were lucky_ repeats in Galo’s mind, and it’s true. He looks over the people they had rescued and pride simmers in his veins. But then, he looks at the other side – at the charred remains of the fields – and the phrase starts to ring hollow, twisting and taking on another form.

Galo clamps his mouth shut and continues checking vitals.

* * *

“Hey, Galo, do you think you could—whoa, kid, you okay?”

“Yeah man, I’m good.” Galo forces himself to crack a smile. “What were you saying?”

Varys furrows his eyebrows in disbelief, and Galo supposes that’s warranted, considering how he must look like shit right now. Sleep hasn’t been coming easy for the past few days, and his eyes feel dry. The dark circles under his eyes were easy to cover up at first – soaking his face in cold water for a couple more minutes than usual in the morning seemed to do the trick. But the longer this went on, the harder it became to hide, if the worried looks he catches on his teammate’s faces are anything to go by.

“You know what, I’ll just ask Remi instead.” Panic bubbles in Galo’s chest.

“Hey, it’s cool! I got it. You just needed me to bring this to that pile over there, right?” He snatches the small stack of cement blocks from Varys’s hands and briskly walks away.

“If you’re sure,” Varys relents, then his eyes widen. “Kid, watch where you’re going-!”

“I got this!” Galo shouts in Varys’s direction. “Don’t worry about m—oh shit—”

On the dot, Remi rights Galo by the shoulders, successfully stopping him from bashing his head open on an overlying I-beam.

“Galo, you’re a walking hazard. Get your shit together.” The glint of Remi’s glasses manages to convey how unimpressed he is.

“My shit is always together!”

“That’s the third time that’s happened,” Aina drawls from her designated working area ten feet away, “And the week isn’t even over yet. You were only saved the second time ‘cause you dodged the beam by tripping.” She wrinkles her nose. “What did you even trip over? Your own feet?”

Galo scratches his head. “Honestly? I have no clue,” he admits. “Walking became hard for some reason.”

Aina rolls her eyes. “You’ve either got a guardian angel that’s extraordinarily good at their job, or your luck is off the charts.” She shakes the hair out of her eyes and comes nearer, eyeing Galo critically, but he can see the slight worry underneath. The back of his neck is covered in sweat. “But seriously, Galo, what’s up? You’ve been acting kinda weird.”

“Nothing’s up!” Galo insists, but the crack in his voice isn’t doing him any favors. By the looks of it too, his companions don’t seem very convinced either. “I’ve been…staying up a bit late, I guess, but that’s on me for using my phone at night,” he lies.

They still don’t look persuaded, and Galo awkwardly shifts in place. Aina opens her mouth, then appears to think better of it and closes it.

“Well, whatever it is, you know you can talk to us anytime, right?” she says, and the other two nod.

“Yeah, I—yeah. I know.” The smile on Galo’s face is genuine this time. “Thanks, Aina. Thanks guys.”

“It’s no problem,” Remi reassures Galo with a clap on his shoulder. “Now get back to work.”

“Got it!”

* * *

At night, Galo’s eyes trace the cracks in the ceiling. Time appears to stand still at this hour, and it’s simultaneously too silent yet deafening to his ears.

His mind is whirring at a hundred thoughts per minute. Scenarios constantly pan in and out of his head – things that have already happened ( _waking up last for a fire alarm in the dead of night_ ), things that could happen ( _arriving at the scene too late, and the bodies pile up side by side_ ). He wiggles around in bed, thoroughly uncomfortable, tries to find solace in one position but fails, so he tries another. It doesn’t work.

He really needs to sleep. Tomorrow is Sunday, which means it’s Lio Day, and Galo knows he won’t be able to escape the other’s watchful eye (never mind the worried looks the rest of Burning Rescue gives him during the day).

The thought of seeing Lio unknots the tangled thread of anxiety in his chest, enough to allow his lungs to expand with more ease. He imagines the look on Lio’s face, how he would fret over Galo. Galo would like to think that they’ve gotten close enough for Lio to be concerned over him.

 _Sleep_ , he would say, and if Galo imagines a lithe hand caressing his cheek, then it’s nobody’s business but his own. If Lio were here, he might even force Galo to sleep, insisting that _you need to rest_. And that would be nice, if only he weren’t plagued by the thoughts of burning bodies, a result of him arriving a few minutes too late to the scene.

Galo forces his eyes and ears open again, intent on catching even the smallest sound of the alarm. _Sleep_ , the Lio in his mind insists. He can almost hear his voice. _You’re safe, and so is everyone else. Please, you have to rest_.

Galo clenches his jaw and pulls the sheets tighter around himself. _But what if it isn’t?_ He can’t stop thinking about everything that could go wrong because of his incompetence. _What if another accident happens and I’m too late to stop it?_

 _Sleep_ , he hears again, and the warm wind blowing in through the open window ruffles his hair. It feels like the gentle stroke of a hand. _You’ll be okay. Sleep_.

While cocooned in warmth, Galo’s eyes unwittingly slide shut.

* * *

“—Galo? Hello? Galo?”

“Huh? Wha-?” Galo is brought back into reality by violet eyes centimeters away from his own. He jolts away, startled, and inches back some. His face feels warm. “Sorry, Lio, what was that?”

Lio squints his eyes in suspicion. “Never mind that. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Galo rubs the back of his head, looks to Lio’s left. The back of his neck is still covered in sweat. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Galo—”

“Anyway, what were we talking about again? Oh! Right—”

“ _Galo_.” The hand on his shoulder stops Galo in his tracks, leaving his mouth dry. _Busted_ , says a voice in his mind, kind of like a kid whose hand was caught in a cookie jar. His face starts to get warmer, and he’s beginning to feel a bit light-headed. Was the air always thin around here?

“Galo,” Lio repeats. “What’s wrong?” He looks at Galo, an expression of worry heavy on his face, and Galo feels ashamed for dragging him into this. _Lio doesn’t need to hear this_.

Galo’s face is blotchy and red and he feels like a bad friend.

“It’s…it’s nothi—”

“Galo Thymos.” Galo’s mouth audibly closes with a click. “Do _not_ tell me it’s nothing. It’s obviously not nothing, if it’s making you act like…this.” Lio doesn’t mention his glassy eyes, and Galo’s grateful for it. He’s starting to feel close to mortified right about now.

Muted, Galo looks at his fingers as he fiddles with them. He can’t look Lio in the eye; he feels so uncool, _fuck_ , and around his crush too. A minute later, he hears Lio softly sigh.

“Galo,” Lio starts, lightly squeezing Galo’s shoulder. If he feels Galo’s flinch, he doesn’t comment on it. “I like to think that we’re…friends, of some sort. And as such, I _do_ want to know whenever you’re unhappy.” Galo can feel Lio’s gaze on him, and a part of his resolve cracks. “And I want to know _why_ you’re unhappy, so we can fix it. Isn’t that what friends do?” Lio says, conflicted.

Galo swallows thickly. “Yeah, I consider you my friend, Lio,” he says, but he still can’t bring himself to look at Lio head-on. He still can’t help hiding his shame.

Lio waits for him to continue, but Galo doesn’t, so he speaks instead. “But you don’t want to tell me what’s going on?”

Galo shakes his head, resolute. He wants only good things when he’s with Lio.

“Will you tell me later on though?”

He instinctively hesitates, but eventually Galo gives in and nods. It appears to satisfy Lio, at least.

“Okay, good. Let me know when you’re ready.” Lio removes his hand, and Galo instantly misses the warmth. He goes back to sitting properly and stares at the ceiling, waiting for Galo to speak.

It’s another five minutes before Galo can bring himself to break the silence. “I’m sorry,” he starts. Lio perks up, listens closely to his every word.

“For what?”

 _For bringing down the mood with my stupid problems. For dragging you into my insecurities_.

“For the shitty gift,” he says instead.

They both look down to the thermos between them, now only half filled with soup. God, not only is it bland, it’s not even hot. It’s _lukewarm_. Galo really does feel sorry for that too, but he’s brought out of his spiraling thoughts by the sound of quiet laughter.

“Really?” Galo stares at Lio, and the shock on his face must do something to Lio since he’s progressed to giggling now. Tears start to form in the corner of Lio’s eyes, and Galo sort of feels offended.

“What?” Galo says defensively.

“Out of all the things you could say,” Lio shakes his head. He takes the thermos and, cradling it between his palms, looks at Galo, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Listen, Galo Thymos. You know you don’t always have to show up with a gift in hand, right? Although I am quite grateful for them, but you know I won’t reject you just because you forgot your offering for the day, right?” Lio’s tone sounds unsure.

Galo feels busted again. “Of course I know that,” he mutters.

Lio continues. “I’m thankful for anything you choose to give me, but more than anything, what I truly appreciate is your company.” He holds up the thermos in his hands. “This, right here – this is enough. Having you around to talk to is enough.”

 _You’re enough_ , he doesn’t say, but it’s what Galo hears. And it’s like a wave of relief washes over him, targeting the cracks in his resolve, stinging the back of his eyes. _I’m not going to cry_ , Galo adamantly tells himself, but his vision is starting to blur.

“Lio,” Galo starts, voice thick with emotion. “Can I hug you?”

Lio doesn’t even hesitate – he puts down the thermos and opens his arms wide. “Come here, Galo,” he says with such tenderness in his voice, and Galo’s resolve breaks down even further. He holds Lio tightly in his arms, taking deep, steadying breaths.

Lio maneuvers Galo’s head so that it’s lying in the crook of his neck. His arms are wrapped tight around Galo’s shoulders, and Galo thinks offhandedly that _for someone smaller than me, he gives pretty big hugs_. Lio’s touch is like a blanket – warm, secured, and Galo feels like nothing could possibly hurt him here.

Galo’s voice is wet when he speaks. “Lio, you’re a god, right?”

“Mhm,” Lio hums as he gently strokes Galo’s hair.

“Is it okay if I make a wish?”

“Of course, Galo. I would never deny you.”

“I—” _I wish everything will turn out okay. I wish I were better at helping people._ Galo doesn’t say it out loud, and Lio doesn't push.

He likes to imagine that Lio hears him anyway.

* * *

Dusk turns to dawn, and like the night giving way to the sun’s rays, life in Promepolis carries on.

The fields, once charred beyond recognition, are re-cultivated (and the green Galo sees peeking through the dirt during his morning runs fills him with pride). The dark circles under Galo’s eyes begin to fade, albeit slowly, but it’s a start.

_(Captain Ignis’s eyes are covered by his aviators, but Galo can still feel his examining stare. A beat after, he huffs, appearing satisfied, and holds Galo’s shoulder in a steady grip._

_“Good to have you back, rookie.”_

_Galo swallows. “It’s good to be back, Captain.”)_

It overwhelms Galo, this feeling of progress – the air isn’t as thick, the presence of others isn’t as suffocating. He still sometimes finds it hard to sleep at night, and there are moments where his thoughts plague him, but it gets easier to look past it – to clearly see what has to be done, and what can be done. The sense of helplessness is slowly ebbing away, sliding over his skin and receding like an ocean tide.

Accompanying progression is inevitable change, and the space between Galo and Lio becomes lighter, brighter.

Back then, Galo was awed by the mere presence of the other to the point where, unconsciously, he had placed Lio on a pedestal. Lio was something to decorate with trinkets and to admire from afar. But recently, the aura around him isn’t as dense.

He’s become…softer, Galo thinks, for a lack of a better word.

Lio is more approachable and more responsive to Galo, and he notes this with great pleasure. Before, Galo would keep Lio at an arm’s length, but now he takes every chance he can to keep him close and hold him tight.

Sometimes, Galo wonders if he’s coming off as too strong. Maybe this is what will push Lio away. He’ll grab Lio and pull him into a hug, then worry a beat later that it’s too much. But then Lio, in his consistent manner of pulling Galo in, would slightly nuzzle his face into Galo’s chest. Or a thin arm would linger around his waist.

On some days, Galo forgets to bring a novelty to adorn Lio with, excitement at the mere prospect of Lio clouding his thoughts. When he arrives at the temple, Lio is still unwavering, and the enthusiasm on his face rivals Galo’s, with or without a gift in hand.

Galo is a weak man. Naturally, Sundays become the highlight of his week.

* * *

Another Sunday finds Galo back in the temple, animatedly recounting the week’s events to Lio, who leans forward in interest. Last Monday afternoon, a throng of desert bandits had burst into the worksite, intent on wreaking havoc and looting their belongings. Galo, in a brave display that even the Captain had to acknowledge, had managed to stave off a good number of the delinquents, all the while protecting the civilians who had passed by to drop off some food for the crew.

“You did a good job,” Lio says, and Galo preens under his attention. Both of them are seated on the altar, but Lio seems a bit far away, so Galo scoots a bit closer.

“You know,” Galo starts, a tint of red on the bridge of his nose, “the day before that, I asked you to wish me luck. Maybe you’re my lucky charm, Lio!”

Lio smiles, amusement obvious on his features. “Perhaps.”

A gust of wind enters through the open window, hitting the two head on. They both shiver, Lio more so, which Galo notes with a frown. He takes off his Burning Rescue jacket, places it on the smaller man’s shoulders, then takes a spare blanket and goes to the window.

“We really have to install some kind of covering for these things.” Galo inspects the window frame and tries to tuck the blanket into the decaying wood. “You okay, Lio?”

“Yes, I’m alright.” Out of Galo’s sight, Lio’s shivering increases in intensity, and he pulls the jacket tighter around himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're reaching the endgame! Two chapters left to go :) this chapter is unbeta'd, as always, so hmu if you notice anything
> 
> The intervals between each chapter just keeps getting longer and longer lmao, I apologize. Next chapter will also likely be late since the most important exam of my life, which is basically the culmination of my four years of studying, is coming up. Though I will try to update around the same time! Lord knows I'll be procrastinating anyway, might as well spend it doing something fun (like updating this fic).
> 
> As usual, especially with the current times: stay safe, everyone ♡


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peep the rating and the tags! Updated it after some internal deliberation on my plans for the rest of this story. Rating was bumped up as more of a just-in-case thing.
> 
> tw: mention of character death

It’s when everything is going well for Galo that he starts to notice that something is wrong. Specifically, that something’s wrong with Lio.

It’s a series of subtle changes – Galo would arrive at the temple at his usual time, and he would find Lio wearing the hoodie he had given him during their first meeting. At first, he was ecstatic at this turn of events. Seeing Lio drowning in his clothes sent a spike of possessiveness through his spine, ending at the tips of his fingers where he’d itch to hold Lio close. Soon, placed over the hoodie was the pizza-patterned blanket, then his FDDP jacket, until he’d be greeted by the sight of a thoroughly bundled up Lio pressed close to the heater every afternoon, without fail.

Lio denies feeling anything less than fine, but it doesn’t help that the dark circles under his eyes are getting darker with each passing week.

He’s started leaning into Galo too, even dozing off at times. Seeing a resting, peaceful Lio makes his heart flop in his chest, but then he’d wrap an arm around smaller shoulders and feel oddly thrown off.

The realization comes to him one night, during a time when his mind wanders: Lio’s warmth, once capable of seeping through Galo’s clothes and into his skin, is gone.

Galo tries to convince Lio to come down to Promepolis with him, to at least get himself checked by a doctor. But Lio is stubborn – he refuses to leave the temple no matter what, and it’s driving Galo insane. So he does the next best thing, which is to warm Lio up as much as he can.

He stuffs his motorbike compartment with every form of warming device he can collect – blankets, jackets, heating packs – and unfailingly brings them every Sunday. He engulfs Lio in layers of cloth, and if he catches the smaller man still shivering, then he pushes his shyness down and pulls him into a hug.

_(“I-It’s ‘cause you’re so freaking cold all the time,” Galo stutters, praying that Lio doesn’t feel the galloping of his heart through all the blankets._

_Thankfully, Lio doesn’t say anything. He just looks down and presses himself closer until the sun starts to set and Galo is forced to return home.)_

Lio looks exhausted. And although Galo enjoys their newfound proximity, Lio’s poorly hidden fatigue is breaking his heart.

* * *

Lio’s eyes flutter open right on the dot, right as the setting sun starts to paint the marble walls of the temple orange. He straightens himself, removes his head from Galo’s shoulder, and frowns.

“Another day squandered,” he mumbles, sounding thoroughly disappointed.

Galo’s heart sinks further. He wildly waves his hands. “That’s not true!”

“All I did was sleep, Galo. You don’t have to pretend otherwise.”

“It’s really okay!” Galo insists. Sure, he misses their conversations, but if Galo’s presence helps Lio sleep better than he’s more than down with it. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I really don’t mind. It’s actually kinda fun, like having a cat sleep on you.”

Lio wrinkles his nose. “How is hours of silence and a dead arm supposed to be fun?”

“Well, maybe I just like watching you sleep!” _Whoops, wasn’t supposed to say that_ , Galo thinks, but he presses on anyway, determined not to feel embarrassed. “How about that!?”

That manages to make Lio laugh, the mirth in his eyes filling Galo’s stomach with butterflies. “Silly man,” Lio says, voice fond. He places his head back on Galo’s shoulder, and Galo pulls him closer as he fills the remaining minutes with anecdotes of his week – how the construction for permanent housing is going, how the marketplace has been thriving, how the crops have been growing faster. Lio closes his eyes but pipes up with a remark every so often, so Galo knows he’s listening. They stay like that, in idle chitchat, until streaks of black are interspersed in the red sky.

Galo wants to ignore the time, but Lio won’t let him. “You should go.”

“Can’t you come with me, just this once?" Galo begs. "I swear I’ll drive you back here as soon as it’s bright out.”

“No, Galo.” Lio says, refusing to bend to Galo’s pleas. Galo knows he won’t win this one either, so he sucks it up and hugs Lio tight.

“I’ll come by early next weekend. Use everything I’ve given you to cover yourself up during the night, okay?”

“I will.”

Galo isn't convinced. “Please, Lio. Take care of yourself.”

Lio chuckles. “I’m a god, remember? I can handle myself.”

Galo has a wry smile on his face when he pulls back. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But look after yourself anyway, for me?”

“Fine,” Lio relents. Galo squeezes him tight one last time then stands up to leave. As he crosses the threshold, waving at Lio, he runs through a mental list of other equipment he can bring next time. He’s already straddling his bike when he notes that the frozen lake has slightly melted, some water pooling at the shore.

 _Summer must be coming soon,_ Galo nonchalantly thinks. He starts the engine and drives over faded pink ashes, speeding home.

* * *

The next Sunday finds Lio fast asleep on the altar. Even though Lio has been dozing off during Galo’s visits, Galo has never actually came to find him already asleep. He doesn’t budge even when Galo tiptoes to where he lies – Lio normally has extremely keen senses, so it’s hard for Galo to sneak up on him.

He’s completely covered in jackets and blankets, just as he promised he would, and Galo notes this with a cheeky grin. But upon closer inspection, he’s still trembling despite all that, so Galo frowns and pushes the heater as close to Lio’s slumbering form as it’s allowed to. The shaking lessens and the tightness in Lio’s face smoothen. Satisfied, Galo plops down on the floor and crosses his arms over the altar, head resting on it to gaze at Lio’s sleeping face.

The stone of the altar is cold, which Galo registers in displeasure. Could this be one of the reasons why Lio’s so cold all the time?

 _I should really get him some bed sheets. Or better yet, a futon_.

Now that his face is less pinched, Lio starts lightly snoring, amusing Galo to no end. He’s half expecting Lio to start drooling, and the mental image warms his chest. His eyes travel from Lio’s fluttering lashes, to the tip of his nose, to his plump, slightly open lips. Galo chokes, face on fire, and respectfully looks away. He feels dirty eyeing Lio like this when he’s vulnerable, though at the back of his mind, he wonders if those lips do feel as soft as they look.

Galo might actually combust this time, so he better stop. _Anyway_.

The fluff of Lio’s mint green head catches Galo’s eye. Lio’s hair looks fine and smooth and, most importantly, _really soft_ , and Galo is kind of tempted to pet him. He imagines it would be like petting a fuzzy cat.

 _Stop that!_ Galo’s conscience suspiciously sounds like Aina. _You’re not supposed to touch people in their sleep!_

Reprimanded, Galo clenches his fist, but he can’t stop staring at Lio’s hair. _It looks so soft though…_

_NO._

_Maybe just one poke…_ Galo, master of self-control, gives in and extends a finger toward Lio’s hair. He’s marveling at the softness when Lio’s eyes instantly open, startling Galo back. He’s already stammering apologies and excuses, but Lio isn’t even listening to him – his head wildly whips around, and he looks panicked.

“ _Galo?_ ” Lio looks so lost, and it’s cute but worrying at the same time. “When did you get here?”

“I got here like fifteen minutes ago. You were out like a light so I didn’t want to wake you.” Galo adds a second later, “Sorry for staring like a creep—”

Lio cuts him off. “ _Fifteen minutes?_ That’s impossible, as soon as you reach the mountain I should be able to—”

Galo takes Lio’s hands in his and looks him in the eye. “Hey, it’s just me. Don’t worry.” Lio’s frown is still deep set with worry, so Galo squeezes his hands. “You’re okay.”

Lio still looks perturbed, but he’s not fretting anymore so Galo’s going to count it as a win. The atmosphere is still kind of heavy though, so he tries to lighten the mood.

“You know,” Galo starts, “it was actually fun catching you asleep. It’s like getting a peek at a you with human problems.”

“Galo, you don’t understand.” The corners of Lio’s lips are still downturned, and Galo finds himself wanting to smoothen it with his fingers. He carefully keeps his hands to himself. “I’m not _supposed_ to be sleeping for that long, or that deeply. I’m not _supposed_ to have human problems.”

“Oh right—you’ve got bigger, god-like problems,” Galo tries to joke, but it isn’t working – Lio is still disturbed. So he does the next best thing and pulls Lio into a hug, hoping that that’ll calm him down. Lio hesitates before loosely hugging Galo back, and Galo is glad despite the unease settling in his stomach.

* * *

_An earthy, dewy smell permeates the air, but the vibrant green of spring is nowhere to be seen. Galo looks at the uneven stone walls surrounding him, then at the rusting plates of steel aligned to form a walkway on the dirt._

Looks like I’m underground this time, _Galo thinks._ In a mine?

_In the corner of his eye, Galo spots distinctive pink shadows coming from one of the tunnels, and he breaks out in a cold sweat. He’s immediately on guard, but the fire this time looks muted, controlled. It almost feels like it’s trying to pull him in, so Galo carefully steps on the metal path leading to it._

_Hooded figures, lit pink by tiny burnish fire, are seated in a circle. Galo steps closer, curious, and his heart drops to the ground when he sees a familiar figure lying on the ground._

“Lio!” _he yells and runs to his side, dropping to his knees. He reaches out for the other but fails, his hand slipping through Lio’s arm._

 _Galo is close to crying in frustration. Thankfully, it’s at this moment that Lio opens his eyes. Violet irises flutter, looking at their surroundings, but they’re unfocused. His pupils are blown wide open._ He’s been drugged, _Galo realizes._

_Meis, almost unrecognizable with his head covered in bandages, comes closer to help Lio sit up. “Boss…”_

_“What happened?” Lio says, confused. “What happened to the mission?”_

_“Boss…Lio…" Gueira pipes up. "We didn’t make it.”_

_“No, we should have at least been able to—”_

_“They were expecting us. We were outnumbered. We were all frozen, then when we came to…we were here.”_

_Lio stares at the others in mute horror. Disappointment flashes on his face, and Galo wants to hold him close, but a second later his eyes are steeled in determination, despair gone as soon as it came._

_“We have to get out.”_

_“Lio…”_

_Lio stumbles when he stands up but forces himself to anyway. He closes his eyes in concentration and his body starts to glow pink. Galo stares at him, awed, as burnish fire dances on his skin. Lio is a picture of pure power._

_However, the fire sputters out, and Lio stares at his palm in shock. Sparks fly from his hands, trying to reunite into one flame, ultimately failing. “My promare—” Lio starts, voice wrecked, when rumbling from above cuts him off._

_Everyone’s eyes are glued to the ceiling. Pebbles begin to dislodge, falling to the floor, their absence leading to larger and larger cracks that Galo views with mounting dread._

The ceiling is going to collapse. _Galo’s eyes fly to Lio, who's trembling, although his voice is loud and clear._

_“Everyone, cover your head!”_

_It’s the last thing Galo hears before they’re all buried alive._

* * *

In the dead of night, Galo is roused awake by the intensity of his palpitations. An all-encompassing feeling of agitation sneaks around his neck, suffocating him and making him feel light-headed.

 _Thump, thump, thump_. The sound of his frantic heart is all he can hear, and underneath the dread, it calls for one person.

 _Lio_.

Galo scrambles out of bed, foregoing changing out of his sleepwear in his haste to reach his bike. He’s already put on his shoes and races toward the front doors when a hand on his bicep makes him jump. He looks back and sees Aina, hair rumpled with a crease between her brows.

“Where do you think you’re going? It’s the middle of the night!”

“I—I need to go out for a bit.” Galo knows that Aina knows he’s lying, and sure enough, she gives him a look that could kill.

“At _2 a.m.!?_ Galo, whatever it is, it could wait. Not to mention that we still have an early shift tomorrow—”

“No,” Galo interrupts her, adamantly shaking his head. He needs to go _now_. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise, but I have to go.”

“You’re not making any sense. It’s too dangerous out there, at this time. Use your head to think for once!” she says, exasperated.

Galo places a hand over Aina’s, softly pulling it off of his arm. Then he stares her dead in the eye, praying she can see his desperation, how much he needs to do this. “Aina, I’m thankful that you’re thinking about my safety, but I have to go.” He squeezes her hand, continuing, “I’ll be back in two hours tops. And if I’m not, well, I’ll be at the top of the mountain next to the frozen lake, so you’ll know where to find me.”

Aina still looks hesitant, and she opens her mouth – probably to berate Galo again – but he lets her go and runs straight for the door.

“ _Galo!_ ”

The night air stings his exposed skin and sneaks beneath his thin clothing, but luckily, the incoming summer season makes the cold more manageable. Braving the chilly weather, Galo turns on his bike and zips off toward the temple.

* * *

Upon reaching the lake, Galo spots an abandoned campsite and a million warning bells go off in his head. He quiets his breathing and eyes his surroundings carefully, grabbing the freeze gun in his compartment, and only after confirming that no one else is around does he walk up to where the campfire used to be. It looks like it was only doused recently, the receding red of the embers still fresh with a light blue mist. Kneeling, he blinded goes to scoop up some dirt to bury the fire but feels powder in his hands instead. Galo lifts his hands to a spot of moonlight and inspects the ash in his hands.

It’s hard to see at first, but once he recognizes the faded pink ashes, his throat closes up. He looks more closely, and there’s no mistaking what the fine, triangle-shaped particles are – burnish ashes.

Light blue mist curls around his ears, and the howling wind almost sounds like a voice.

 _(“—s! Let go of me—we have, we have to—"_ )

 _You have to go to Lio_.

Galo looks back at the campsite, but the lingering red has completely faded out. Then he looks back up at the mountain, where a temple lies on of it, _where Lio is_ , and runs.

He’s already near the entrance, about to step over the crumbling threshold, but the eerie feeling of being watched stops him in his tracks. He whips his head around and spots a small figure spying at him, body half hidden by the corner of the temple. Her brown hair is held back by a blue bandana, and her brown skin is shimmering with a faint pink glow. She’s shaking with trepidation, and Galo lowers his guard, trying to look nonthreatening.

“Are you okay?” No response. She still looks at him with palpable fear. “What are you doing here?”

Galo slowly steps closer, raising his hands, hoping the gesture will calm her down, except that it does the opposite. She looks even more terrified now.

“I’m from Burning Rescue, it’s okay—”

“STAY BACK!”

Galo shuts his mouth, hands still in the air, and stares at her. She’s not really looking at him, more to his left, and he remembers that he’s still holding his freeze gun.

“Oh! It’s okay, this isn’t a real gun. See,” he says, lowering his hand and walking closer, intent on showing it to her.

“I SAID _STAY BACK!_ ” Pink fire erupts from her skin and shoots toward Galo, who dodges a second too late. He cries out in pain when the flames engulf his left arm. The flames soon die down on their own, leaving Galo’s arm burned but thankfully still usable.

“Ah…”

Galo, cradling his arm, lifts his head to look at her. Regret is heavy on her face, and beads of sweat collect on her forehead. Strangely enough, even though Galo is the one hurting, he feels sorry for her.

“Hey,” he tries, “it’s okay—”

“I’m sorry—”

“Just calm down—”

She holds her head in her hand and erupts. Pink fire surrounds her, spreading to the nearby trees and climbing up the walls of the temple.

“I’m so sorry,” she wails, but Galo isn’t listening to her anymore. His eyes are glued to the temple lit up in flames.

“LIO!”

 _(Lio is still in there, trapped by walls of purple flames_.) And Galo runs headfirst into the fire.

Ringing in Galo’s ears is a repeating siren of a single word – Lio. _Lio, Lio, Lio_. Head kept low to the ground, he keeps his eyes forward and spots a flash of mint green. It’s Lio, lounging on the altar, looking as normal as can be. His head is tilted upward, and his dazed expression is one of resigned peace. The dread in Galo’s gut churns, and he feels desperation overcome him.

“Lio!” _Don’t go._

Lio’s head whips to Galo, mixed emotions blatantly shown on his face – surprise, anger, fear, and beneath it all, a fraction of relief. Galo cries his name again, running up to him and holding him tight.

“Galo, you shouldn’t be here.”

Galo ignores him and grabs onto Lio’s hand instead, pulling him out toward the entrance, but Lio won’t budge. “Lio, what are you _doing_ , we have to go!”

“ _Galo_.” The fire dances around Lio, appearing to linger on his skin.

 _(He’s a picture of pure power_.)

“You have to leave. _Now_.”

“Not without you!”

“Galo, this isn’t the time for this.”

“ _Damn right_ this isn’t the time—”

They’re interrupted by the sound of something rumbling above them, and they both look up at the ceiling. Fine lines in the marble connect to each other, forming larger and larger cracks. _The ceiling is going to collapse_ , Galo thinks, dizzy. His eyes fly to Lio, then to the entrance, but it’s too far away, they’d never make it. The moment he hears the roof start to give, he pulls Lio off the altar and covers his entire body with his own.

Between the sounds of falling rubble, Galo can faintly hear Lio calling his name. It’s only after the debris settles that he registers the searing pain, and he cracks his eyes open, coming face to face with Lio. His pale eyelashes are clumped together by tears.

“You _idiot_ ,” Lio cries, and isn’t it insane? How, even like this, eyes bloodshot and hair dirty, Lio is still breathtaking. Galo wants to tell him.

“Lio—” Pain shoots throughout his body, and he doesn’t need to look down to know where it’s from. He can feel the steel mesh speared through his chest.

“ _Shut up_ ,” Lio hisses. “Why didn’t you just _listen_ to me? _Why wouldn’t you leave me alone?_ ”

“Lio.” (“Stop talking,” Lio says, but Galo wants to _tell him_.) “Lio. I love you.”

Lio’s face twists in agony. Galo continues, “Lio, I love you. I could never leave you alone.”

“ _Why_. Why _now_ —” Lio starts hyperventilating, so Galo gently knocks their foreheads together.

“You were always around, weren’t you?" Galo thinks back to when he first saw Lio, then to when he first stumbled across the temple. Ignis had said that he was lucky he hadn't run into any danger that one time he came home late, but… "You were around since we met, and probably even before that.”

“God, will you _stop talking,_ you idiot, you need to conserve your strength—”

“Lio—” Blood collects in Galo’s mouth, and he tilts his head away to cough, not wanting to taint Lio any further. “—You’ll be okay this time. I promise.”

He wants to tell Lio more – wants to apologize to Lio for doubting him, wants to let him know just how deep Galo’s love for him runs – but his vision is getting blurry. Galo’s running out of time. His eyes flutter, slowly closing.

“Stay up,” Lio pleads in a despairing voice. “Please, Galo, please, stay awake.”

“I’m sorry Lio, I’m just so tired…”

Galo’s eyes fall closed to the sound of Lio crying his name. Before Galo loses consciousness completely, he feels a warm hand on his chest, right next to the cold metal.

“Lio…? What’re you…”

Lio softly shushes him, working his hand over the metal. In time, the metal disintegrates, making the hole in Galo’s chest all the more blatant. Lio places his hand over it next, and Galo can feel the fibers sew themselves back together.

Galo looks at Lio in wonder. After Lio is finished mending Galo, he gives him a smile, profound affection reflected in his glassy eyes.

“I love you too, Galo Thymos.” Then he leans up and seals it with a kiss.

Galo is enshrouded by a green flame, and he feels himself regaining his strength. He’s absorbed in the soft touch of Lio’s lips against his, until Lio pulls away and falls back. His body starts to turn cold.

“Lio!? _Lio!_ ”

A rush of adrenaline fills Galo, and pushes the debris off of them, all the while cradling Lio’s decaying body in his arms. Stepping over the destroyed ruins of the temple, he carries Lio out, laying him on the grass.

“Lio!” Tears flow out of his eyes and onto Lio’s gray cheeks. “Hey! Stay with me!”

Lio doesn’t respond. The tips of his fingers turn into ash, and Galo panics. He pushes his hands over Lio’s chest, trying to start his heart back up, but it isn’t working.

“You can’t disappear on me! _Lio!_ ” Galo presses his mouth to Lio’s, breathing into him, but Lio still doesn’t open his eyes.

Racked with despair, Galo can do nothing except bring Lio close, squeezing him tightly in his arms.

“Lio…” Galo buries his face in mint green hair. “Please, please don’t do this. Lio, please…” The tips of his fingers glow pale green. “Lio, please, don’t go. Stay here.” But it’s no use, and Galo is forced to watch his heart decay further and further, until he’s left clutching ashes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, the real reason why this is a no-kray au is because I was the one who was meant to hurt our boys all along. (before you stone me, please do note the tag "Angst with a Happy Ending"!!!)  
> And on that note, please do tell me if I'm doing the tagging right :( also if there are any mistakes in the writing itself since this was unbeta'd, as usual.
> 
> This chapter came out earlier because of two reasons:  
> 1\. The scene where Lio and Galo are trapped in the burning temple is what actually prompted me to properly flesh out this au. Consequently, it's also the scene I was most excited to write (the second being the next and final chapter).  
> 2\. Apparently, panicking over schoolwork is a good way to motivate you to finish everything that isn't schoolwork


	6. Chapter 6

Galo doesn’t know how much time he spends sitting on the hard ground, but it’s long enough for his tears to dry and his shaking to stop. It’s long enough for Aina to come running to pick him up and pull him back to his feet. She’s about to start scolding him again, but she does a double take, looks at Galo’s face carefully, and audibly closes her mouth. Then she takes a clenched fist, smaller hand anchoring him in a firm grip, and leads him back to where they had parked their bikes.

She doesn’t say anything during the walk back. Somehow, even without knowing all the details, Aina gets the important bits, and Galo is grateful to her for that. He’s also thankful how she doesn’t pry, instead sharing in his silence and quietly keeping him company until he’s stable enough to make the whole trip back home.

As soon as they reach the compound, Aina holds his hand again through the steel doors, past the building’s inhabitants (he can feel Remi and Varys’s curious stares but ignores them), beelining straight for his bed. Once there, she sits him down and tucks him in, softly telling him to rest before leaving him to his thoughts. Galo stares at nothing for a long time, mind static, before succumbing to a dreamless sleep.

He wakes up to a midday sun shining absurdly bright in his face. Eyes shut tight, he gropes around for his phone and sees a text from Remi.

_No need to come in to work today, we got you covered._

Galo blankly stares at the text. Shortly after, he stands up and grabs his keys, destination in mind. He rides until he reaches the giant frozen lake, then a bit further, leaving his bike and stepping deeper into the woods. He goes higher up the mountain, expecting to see the marble walls of the temple and a lithe figure dressed in black leather waiting inside, but instead is greeted by debris.

Galo plops down on the ground to sit, and he waits. And waits, and waits, until the sun is close to disappearing beyond the horizon and he’s forced to leave again.

* * *

The humidity of a summer day sticks to Galo’s skin as he walks the beaten path back to the frozen lake. It isn’t anywhere near to sundown yet, but without Lio’s company, visiting the ruins has become somewhat of a chore. Galo can only talk to himself so much without being reminded of what it would be like were the smaller man still around (a sharp quip coupled with fond eyes, and if Galo is lucky, perhaps a tender touch), and the silence grows heavy on his back.

With each passing second, his heart sinks further and further, until the blood in his veins start to fill with ice instead. With each passing day, Galo’s visits become shorter and shorter, until reality begins to close in on him and purr rejection into his ear.

It’s _hard_. Galo is a lot of things – he’s optimistic, he’s stubborn, he’s persistent – but each empty visit tips the scales ever so slightly the opposite way. More than anything, Galo is human, and there’s only so much heartbreak he can take before he’ll try to seal it away for safekeeping. Back then, he’d visit everyday after work, then it became every other day, then once every three days. Perhaps soon…

But Galo doesn’t like to think about that. So he ignores it and focuses on treading back to the frozen lake, then back home.

He’s arrived at his destination when a there’s a flash of movement in his peripheral vision. Breath catching and hope held high, he whips his head toward the source, only to be met with disappointment when he spots someone else sitting at the edge of the frozen waters. He still eyes her with curiosity though – it’s rare that anyone would be here, and something about her seems so familiar…

He’s inspecting her features – wild, brown hair coupled with brown skin – when it hits him.

Once again, Galo’s mouth moves faster than his brain. “Hey!”

Widened eyes lock with his and she looks like she’s about to run away again, but recognition crosses her features and, curiously enough, she stays. Galo carefully steps toward her, like he would to a frightened animal, until they’re only a few steps away from each other. She keeps her head down the whole time, arms crossed in front of her, guarded.

Galo clears his throat. Then he slowly lowers himself to the ground, faces the lake, and wordlessly pats the dirt beside him. She accepts his silent invitation, although with hesitation, but Galo thinks it’s a start. He steadily keeps his eyes on the lake, not wanting to scare her away, though he can feel her heavy gaze on his left arm, which is currently covered in a medical sleeve.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh! Oh, no, it’s—” Galo awkwardly coughs, “—it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” she says, voice miserable. Galo chances a look at her and he sees regret plain on her face.

“It _is_ ,” insists Galo. “It was an accident, right? I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, not to mention that I probably didn’t look the most welcoming to…your kind.”

 _To Burnish_ , Galo thinks, but luckily for him he keeps his mouth shut this time.

“It doesn’t matter if it was an accident. I still hurt you, and I’m sorry about that.” Her eyes flicker away. “Is your arm alright?”

“The doctor said I should keep this on for a month at least, but after that it should be good as new!” Galo grins. “He even said that I should consider myself lucky that my arm wasn’t exposed as long, otherwise it could have caused some permanent damage, so. You know, thanks for putting it out.”

Galo’s enthusiasm is infectious, and it makes her crack a smile. “I’m glad I was able to do that at least.” Silence descends between them again, though it’s more comfortable now as compared to earlier.

The sun sinks deeper into the horizon, and although Galo doesn’t want to leave just yet, he knows he’ll get an earful from Burning Rescue if he comes home late again. So Galo stands up, dusts off his pants, and faces the other, who is also standing up.

“I’m Galo Thymos, by the way.” Galo gives her a brilliant smile. “What’s yours?”

“Thyma.”

“Well then, nice to meet you, Thyma! Are you heading back to Promepolis too? I could accompany you, if you’d like.” He looks around, adding, “doesn’t look like you’ve brought any form of transportation either, so you could hitch a ride on my bike.”

“No, no, you don’t have to do that. I stay here.”

“Here?” Galo tilts his head, confused. “In the forest? Alone? Is it safe?”

“I live with others. It isn’t easy, but we make do.”

“You guys could always come live in Promepolis, you know. It would be better than staying here.”

“Thank you, but no.” Thyma crosses her arms in front of her again. “We’re aware of the circumstances. Our kind isn’t exactly welcome in most cities.”

Galo’s frown deepens, but he knows she’s right. The wounds from the war are still too fresh in everyone’s minds, and Burnish who are introduced too quickly into the community are likely to be met with backlash. Although there have been people rallying to put aside differences and to accept their new neighbors, they’re few and far in between. As it is now, staying in Promepolis is the more dangerous option. Still, Galo thinks, maybe there’s something he can do to help in the meantime.

“I’m here every three days. If you need anything – food, fresh water, supplies – meet me here, or look for my bike parked beside the frozen lake.”

Thyma looks stunned. “You don’t have to do that. Especially after what I did…”

Galo shakes his head. “Not all Burnish are bad. Just because you were born with a mutation doesn’t mean you deserve to be treated like this.” He looks her dead in the eye. “I want to help.”

“If you wouldn’t mind…” She gives him a small smile. “Sorry again. And thank you, really. This means a lot.”

“No problem! Always glad to help.” Galo holds out a hand to solidify their agreement, which Thyma stares at for a second before slowly placing her hand in his grip. He holds onto her small hand tight, and small sparks of pink flame fly. Thyma, jaw opening in surprise, pulls her hand away and cradles her fist close. Galo stares at his hand too, but strangely enough, it isn’t burned. His fingertips appear to glow green, but he blinks and it’s gone, almost as if he imagined it.

Thyma’s voice breaks the quiet that’s settled between them. “Wait a second. Are you actually Burnish…?”

“No?” Galo says, but he’s unsure. His hand was in direct contact with the sparks, he should have felt some pain at least, but there isn’t even a sting.

“Can you try summoning a flame?”

“What?” Galo turns to her, distracted. “Sorry, what was that?”

Thyma scrutinizes him, but stops a moment after. “Never mind. You should leave, it’s getting dark.”

“Oh, right!” Galo starts to jog toward his bike, mind focused on how he’ll be due for an hour-long lecture by Ignis if he’s late again. “Sorry, I gotta run! It was nice meeting you! See you around, Thyma!”

“It was nice meeting you too, Galo Thymos.” The corners of Thyma’s mouth curl up like a secret. “See you around.”

* * *

The crisp air of an autumn morning stings the back of Galo’s throat when he takes in a deep breath. He’s at the open-air marketplace right now with the rest of Burning Rescue, eyeing the wares and doing some window shopping. Or actual shopping, in the case of the girls.

Galo was lounging around at the compound, enjoying a rare day off, when Aina and Lucia snuck up to him with matching grins that spelling nothing but trouble. Unfortunately for him, though he may have been able to reason with Aina were she alone, Lucia is an entirely different case, and he was forced to succumb to their whims. On their way out they had stumbled across Varys and Remi, and, seeing how the crew was almost complete, decided to invite Ignis as well to their excursion (who had nodded and said that he had wanted to get something for his husband, anyway).

And now here Galo is, idly wandering around, stopping at whichever stalls catch his eye. The area occupied by the marketplace is large and festive, the red and orange of the leaves complimenting the colorful streams decorating the tops of the tents.

He’s examining some knitted hats when he sees it – a dark blue knitted sweater with tiny pizzas littering the fabric. His mind goes back to months ago – a thin body tightly wrapped in a pizza-patterned blanket – and his vision goes slack. He looks at the blue-colored winter cap he’s holding and can’t help himself from imagining pulling it over a mint head, making sure it covers ears reddened by the cold.

Suddenly, the cheery atmosphere begins to feel a bit suffocating.

“—alo? Galo?” A yellow and pink blob enters his field of vision, and he focuses his eyes on Lucia, who has a concerned look plastered on her face. “Hey big guy, you okay?”

“Yeah…sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“Nah, don’t sweat it,” Lucia waves it away. “How about I treat you to something? As a reward for allowing Aina and I to drag you outside with us.”

Galo grins. “I don’t really mind, but I won’t turn down free food. Thanks!” He follows her to the section of the marketplace filled with food and gets himself a grilled cheese sandwich.

It’s cold at night, when they get home and are already in bed. Galo supposes that it makes sense, given how winter is near, but the chill digs deep into his skin and into his bones. His mind, reminded by the afternoon at the marketplace, keeps replaying memories of Lio – what they used to do together, what has already happened, some what-ifs. Galo’s tears have long dried up, but the throbbing in his chest remains. It’s been scabbed over, but Galo knows that a small flick could easily make it bleed again. _It isn’t easy to forget you, Lio_ , Galo thinks. He doesn’t think he wants to either, anyway.

He rubs at the center of his chest, right over where his heart is, hoping to massage the pain away. Eyes obstinately closed in the effort to force himself to fall asleep, Galo doesn’t notice the tips of his fingers glowing green, soothing the hurt. A warm breeze slips through the sides of the windowpanes, circling over Galo’s half-asleep form and gently ruffling his hair. An overwhelming sense of comfort envelops Galo until eventually, he falls into a deep sleep.

* * *

Galo is at the kitchen when he hears it.

He’s at the stove, stirring a mix of eggnog as a surprise for everyone during dinner later, when he hears a familiar deep voice that tingles all the way down his spine. Whipping around, he sees a wisp of green in his periphery that trails out of the kitchen. It tugs at his heartstrings and croons in his ear to follow. Interest piqued, Galo turns off the stove and covers the pot, grabbing his coat on the way out.

He passes by the fireplace, the crackling of the embers almost sounding like a voice, encouraging him to go forward. The green wisps linger at the corner of his vision, only disappearing when he chooses to follow it, and soon enough he’s outside, light snow falling from the sky, until he’s led to his bike parked at the side of the building.

Blue smoke dances around his ears, and if he listens closely enough, he can hear words.

 _Go to the mountain_. And Galo’s heart hurts.

It’s just…it’s hard. Galo knows firsthand how it feels to be thoroughly disappointed, and he’s visited the ruins enough times for that feeling to be embedded deep into his mind. It’s been months since he’s felt like this – longing, hopeful – and he’s not sure how much more he can take being let down before it breaks him completely.

 _Go to the mountain_ , the voice repeats, and Galo clenches his jaw. His pulse is twittering, singing one word: Lio, Lio, _Lio_. He knows that it’ll be futile to ignore it – at the back of his mind, he’s already decided what to do. So Galo digs out his keys from his pocket, turns on the ignition, and rides.

He leaves his bike at its usual spot and steps deeper into the woods, trekking higher and higher up the mountain. His throat is closing up, and Galo is _scared_ – scared of what he’ll find, or worse, what he won’t find – but the green wisps are still there, urging him to go forward. He chooses to trust in his gut and listens, momentarily letting go of his doubts.

Galo is almost at the top when he sees him. He has his back turned, but Galo can never mistake that mint head of hair, coupled with a lithe figure. His head is lifted up and his palms are turned up, waiting for bits of snow to fall into them. Galo can’t see his face, but he’s sure he’d recognize him anywhere.

“Lio!” Lio snaps his head in Galo’s direction, and Galo is pinned down by piercing violet eyes, then by a soft smile.

“Galo!” Galo breaks into a run, crushing Lio against his chest as soon as he reaches him.

 _Lio, Lio, Lio_. Wordlessly, Galo buries his face into Lio’s soft hair and cries, while Lio circles his arms around him and hugs him just as tight.

“Galo, look at me—”

“Lio—where the fuck were you—where the _fuck_ did you go—”

“Galo.” Lio pulls away and brings their joined hands between them, linking their fingers together. The green glow in Galo’s fingertips combine with that in Lio’s and dissipate into the cold winter air. “You’re always full of surprises, aren’t you? Here I am, trying to save you, when you decide to redirect my own efforts back at me. Stubborn man.”

There are tears in the corner of Lio’s eyes, and he looks at Galo with such a tender expression – Galo, who probably looks like a mess right now, but he couldn’t care less about that cause all that mattered at this moment was _Lio_.

“Lio,” Galo croaks, “I missed you so much.”

Lio’s eyes shine with happiness. “I missed you too, Galo.” He lifts a hand and swipes his thumb against Galo's cheek, wiping away his tears. “Thank you for finding me again.”

* * *

_(It's another hour before Galo manages to calm down, but it's okay since Lio is here with him this time._

_"Lio," Galo starts, holding Lio's hand. "Now will you come back to Promepolis with me?"_

_The smile on Lio's face is amused. "Yes." He pulls Galo away from the ruins, back down the mountain, and towards the frozen lake. "Let's go home.")_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s a wrap :) thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! They helped keep me going, so this au is for all of you ♡
> 
> Honestly, there are things I would have liked to change, not to mention that my limited vocabulary may have impeded my ability to tell the story well, but I'm happy overall. Although looking back this would probably have been better as a oneshot – I’ve left a lot of hints that may have been easier to pick up if this was all read in one sitting, but. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ It is what it is. I just hope they weren’t too vague, but if ever you’ve still got questions just leave a comment! I’ll be happy to explain.
> 
> I’ve also got some ideas for a companion fic (this time from Lio’s perspective), so I might get around to working on that! I really love this au so I’m extremely excited to share the details with all of you, but unfortunately it’ll take another few months at least before I get to it haha. ‘Til the next au ♡
> 
> Some extra stuff:  
> \- My original plan was for Lio and Galo to die HAHAHA. The idea was that Galo would be a sort of “human sacrifice” to make his wish (which is to keep Lio safe) come true. In the end, Lio would have exhausted himself, and they would have died peacefully in each other’s arms. BUT there would have been enough of his powers left for both of them to be reborn, hence turning this into a reincarnation au lmao  
> \- That ending was scrapped simply because I love Burning Rescue too much. It felt unfair to suddenly have Galo, an integral part of their group, be stripped away just because of someone he loves. Not to mention that I like to think Lio wouldn’t want that either. So I modified it into the ending we have now, and honestly, I prefer this ending MUCH more. (Therefore, technically Burning Rescue saved GaloLio)  
> \- Another dynamic I am extremely fond of is that of Mad Burnish! Meis and Gueira are great, they’re such a delight to write. Sadly, this is a Galo-perspective story so I couldn’t include them much, but I hope to fix that with the Lio version. They’ve never left Lio’s side though! They’ve been around since the start, but their presence became much more obvious in the last two chapters :)


End file.
